Engagement Day

"I can't believe it. You are still stuck to that laptop and your precious phone", grumbled Mrs. Xie upon entering her son's room.

Gesturing his mother to quieten down, Xie Tang wrapped up his call and braced himself for the tirade.

"Do you know that it is YOUR engagement today. You haven't even started getting dressed up. Liang Mei Zhen's family would be reaching in an hour. What will I say to them?" she complained.

"Mom, it was important and needed my personal attention. I promise you – no more business related calls for the next five days", he assured his mother.

She shook her head in exasperation as another thought struck her, "what do you mean five days? Need I remind you that seven days from now, you and Mei Zhen will be traveling for your honeymoon? Please don't tell me that you will be carrying your office along with. Oh, what am I supposed to do with you?"

Xie Tang grinned at his mother's theatrics as he gently pushed her towards the door.

"Who is delaying me now? What would Mei Zhen and her family think if they get to know that I got delayed on my engagement day because of my mother and her scolding", he replied cheekily.

He freshened up and stood in front of the full-length mirror. Chocolate brown eyes stared back at him, framed in a long narrow face. Xie Tang stood 6'1 in bare feet and had a lean but muscled body frame. Thick straight hair and a dimpled smile took the sharpness away from his cheeks and gave him an endearing look. But that smile was a rare phenomenon and hence the effect more lethal when bestowed.

Scion to one of the top business houses in Shanghai, he had been amongst the most sought after bachelors. After a long bout of pressure tactics from his parents and younger sister, he had finally caved in and they had found a match for him the old fashioned way. Xie Tang thought back to his first meeting with Mei Zhen. It had happened with all the pomp and show attached to an arranged alliance. Both of them had been decidedly awkward on the day. Finally, it had been Mei Zhen who had broken the ice and post that they had discussed everything under the sun from business to sports to philosophy.

After the first few meetings itself, he was sure that they suited each other admirably. Her level headedness and intelligence was a huge deciding factor for him to say yes to the match. The families had been delighted, especially when the prospective groom and bride had left all the arrangements to their respective parents. That was few months ago and today, Xie Tang could safely call marrying Mei Zhen a wise decision and believed she would be an ideal partner for him.

His heart chose to mock him right at the moment reminding him of a pair of sparkling green eyes and a generous laughing mouth. Xie Tang shied away from thinking any further about those eyes or the person to whom they belonged.